(NEW BEDFORD, Mass.) — Noted historian, Kingston Heath will lead a weekend symposium on enterprise and industry in New Bedford titled “The River and the Rail” February 15-16 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

The Port of New Bedford’s historical evolution as a manufacturing and commercial center provides valuable perspective on the growth challenges it faces today – managing ocean resources, cleaning up a century of pollution, and mapping a path forward for other maritime related industries while preserving its fishing industry. Join Kingston Heath and thirteen other speakers exploring and discussing the city’s principal natural resource and its role in the growth and renewal of a great American seaport.

The keynote speaker is noted historian and New Bedford native Kingston W. Heath, Ph.D., author of “The Patina of Place” – a study of the New Bedford architectural house style commonly called the “triple-decker” – how and why this iconic New England structure came to be, its links to immigration, industry, and urban landscapes.

Presentations will include oil and candle manufacture, banking history, New Bedford’s movers and shakers in the 19th century, textile mills and their physical and philosophical effects on the city and its population, the history of the glass industry, New Bedford’s public water supply, the harbor and its issues, the fishing industry, and the future for manufacturing.

Major support for this program comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Nye Lubricants and the William M. Wood Foundation.
Tweet: #RiverandRail_NBWM

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the world's most comprehensive museum devoted to the global story of whales, whaling and the cultural history of the region. The cornerstone of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the Museum is located at 18 Johnny Cake Hill in the heart of the city's historic downtown. Winter hours through March: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on holiday Mondays. For more info: www.whalingmuseum.org.